Popular Science says Corktown Common is among this year’s “best of what’s new”

The revitalization of Toronto’s West Don Lands is tied to Toronto’s Pan Am Games, which don’t happen until 2015—but it seems as though the international press is already starting to take some notice. Corktown Common, a recently opened park located near the mouth of the Don, made Popular Science’s annual “Best of What’s New” list. The magazine was particularly taken with the common’s stormwater management system, a cleverly disguised array of UV lights, underground tanks, irrigation pipes and man-made marshlands designed to protect the city from flooding while giving area residents an attractive and fun place to hang out. Waterfront Toronto, the agency that oversaw the creation of the park using funding from the province and the feds, is understandably pleased.